A Dragon's Wish
by DragonLord15
Summary: When Team Natsu finds a hurt dragon, they risk everything to save her. But is there more to her than meets the eye?
1. Chapter 1

"This way, come on!" yelled Natsu as he ran down the hallway with Happy in pursuit.

"Guys, we're supposed to be quiet!" whispered Lucy. "The thieves' could be right around the corner…"

"Let it go, Lucy," said Gray as he stripped subconsciously. "We were bound to find trouble sooner or later. Hey Erza," he said to the red-head beside him. "What does the job description say we are supposed to be doing?"

Erza lifted the paper to her face and read aloud" Wanted: Wizards needed to enter known thieves' hideout and retrieve important documents. Documents in blue bag. Reward is 500,000 jewel upon delivery." Erza finished just as a rumble shook the earthen walls and they saw a flash of lights around the corner.

Gray grinned. "Looks like he started the party without me."

Before they even got to the intersection they knew the fight was over. Natsu grinned and said," Took you long enough. I think I might know where-"Natsu suddenly stopped, nostrils flaring as he sniffed the air. His eyes widened in shock and excitement as he followed his nose down the hallway.

"Natsu?" Lucy asked nervously, but he didn't seem to hear her.

The other team members looked at each other in puzzlement and followed Natsu down the hall. Soon they came to a small oak door, almost invisible against the dark brown dirt. Slowly, as if in a dream, Natsu reached out his hand and pushed the door inward. As everyone stepped into the room everyone gasped.

Inside was a dragon.

The purple beast lay curled up in a ball, shivering with cold. It appeared to be asleep though its eyes moved rapidly behind the eyelids. It was about the size of a wagon, which was a lot smaller than Natsu was used to. Iron manacles were clamped around its muzzle, legs, and wings, restricting movement to almost none. Fresh wounds left crimson red streaks down its body to the stone floor, the creature lying in its own blood.

The nearby torch glistened off its horns at it slowly opened its eyes and gazed at them in shock. Nobody moved as the two parties gazed at each other. Slowly, Natsu slid closer to the dragon staring deeply into its eyes, Her eyes were a deep, chocolate brown, How he knew it was female, he wasn't sure, but it felt right. She shifted her weight slightly, drawing Natsu's gaze to the puddle of blood by her talons. His heart filled with anger. Whoever would do this to an innocent and kind creature deserved to die. He had seen fear, hope, and, deep down in the whirlpool of her eyes, kindness. Nothing deserved to be treated like this.

He walked closer, hand outstretched. She watched him wearily, and when he got within touching range she shrank back against the wall in obvious fear. Natsu stopped, his heart heavy and glanced over his shoulder at his stunned friends. Suddenly a warm breath enfolded his outstretched hand. Whipping his head around he gazed upon the dragon. Her snout was pressed to his hand, warm and leathery to the touch. Up close, Natsu could see that the chain around her muzzle was almost embedded into her skin, dried blood coating the surface. His anger was stoked anew.

The sound of voices filtered in from the hallway, breaking the trance. The team glanced at each other. They could not risk getting caught. The job, and their lives, depended on their silence. They needed a place to hide.

As if understanding their plight, the dragon tossed her head toward a pile of boxes abandoned in a dark corner. Quickly closing the door, the wizards jumped behind the boxes with a few seconds to spare. Four men came inside and quickly shut the door. At the sight of them the dragon crouched into the corner and snarled menacingly. One of the men walked forward, a long stick in his hand.

He smiled. "Hello beautiful." Then suddenly he took the stick and slapped it forcefully against the dragon's side.

Even with the muzzle on, Natsu could still hear her screech of pain.

This he would not tolerate.

He found himself standing, giving way to his anger as his fire burned the men to a crisp. He ignored the stunned expressions of his friends and raced for the cowering dragon, desperate to finally free her.

"Great job Natsu, now the whole job is busted," complained Gray, but only half-heartedly.

Natsu ignored him and focused on the chains. They were strong, strong enough to withstand Natsu's strength. But they lost the battle to Erza's sword, and soon the bloody chains clanked to the ground. The dragon blinked slowly at him, as if she couldn't believe that she was free. Her eyes filled with gratitude.

"Come on," he told the dragon. "We can get you out of here." He moved toward the door but the dragon's head shot up, nostrils flaring and eyes wide.

At the same time Lucy said "There are more coming," she said worriedly. Natsu listened and the pounding of feet echoed. There must be fifty of them on their way. The dragon could hear them to0, and she shrunk as far as she could into the wall, as if wishing it to absorb her.

Gray smiled, trying to calm her fear. "It's okay. We won't leave you to them."

The sound of feet grew even louder and the team summoned their magic. "Get ready," Erza said, her sword gleaming. There was silence outside, then suddenly the door blew off its hinges and men spilled in. The fight had begun.


	2. Chapter 2

The rush of battle pulsed through the team as the members of Red Dragon charged toward them. Erza changed into her Heaven's Wheel armor with a flash of white light and began slashing people left and right. Gray's shirt went flying through the air, and Lucy summons Taurus. The injured dragon crouched behind them, shaking, ready to attack anyone that came close.

Natsu roared, calling on his fire as a line of disheveled wizards barreled toward. One bought of dragon fire downed all but two, and they continued to advance despite being on fire.

As one man with the smoldering remains of a beard swung at his head, Natsu easily ducked and countered with a sweep of the man's legs, causing him to crash to the ground. The other man advanced more wearily, shirt almost completely burned off. The man shouted, and tons of water appeared out of nowhere, raining down on Natsu. He looked at the man, amused.

"It takes more than that to douse a dragon's flame." He smirked and sent a wing attack at the startled man, flinging him to the other side of the room.

Natsu took a moment to observe the rest of the battle. Gray was locked in combat with a huge bear of a man, but as Natsu watched turned him into a solid block of ice. Lucy had summoned Leo as well, and brother were fighting ferociously. Erza's opponents wouldn't even come close, instead using their powers to vainly throw ice or metal at her. But for every Red Dragon, two more took their place. They kept filing into the room, stepping over their fallen comrades to take their place. A few were dragging the injured to the edge of the fight, out of harm's way.

"Natsu!" Lucy yelled. "There are too many! We need to get out of here!" Natsu filled with anger.

"No way!" He retorted. "I can take these guys!"

"I know you can, but we have to get that dragon to the guild!" He glanced over at the cowering dragon, snarling at an approaching woman, hands empty of visible weapons. Natsu raced over and stood between them, a solid wall of rageful fire. The woman stepped back, fearful, and held up her hands like she was calming a spooked animal.

"Please let me help you. I didn't know anything about the capture or torment of this poor beast, and if I had I would have done something. Please let me help you escape." Natsu narrowed his eyes.

"How do I know what you're saying is true?"

The woman smirked. "Let me show you my power." She closed her eyes and the air around her began to glow, a subtle hint of golden light in the torch-lit room. Suddenly the number of people multiplied, starlit warriors charging into the melee. The Red Dragons stopped, shocked, then one by one turned and ran, clogging up the narrow door.

When all of them had disappeared the starry warriors vanished, and the women opened her eyes and slumped against the wall, exhausted.

"That was some pretty good illusion magic." Gray said as the team gathered around her.

The woman smiled. "No one in this guild expects a woman to be able to do that kind of magic."

"Are you a member of this guild?" Erza asked curiously. The woman's smiled faded and her brow darkened.

"Unfortunately, yes. But not by choice." She sighed. "Years ago my father was a member of this crude excuse of a guild. He was a great wizard, but had a gambling and drinking problem. He couldn't support my brother and I, o he eventually left. My brother left me too, and I now he will follow in my father's footsteps. I haven't seen them in eight years."

Silence greeted the woman's sad story and out of the corner of his eye he say the dragon creep forward and press her head against the woman' trembling hand. The woman gazed at her in wonder. "I'm so sorry this happened to you. If I would have known…" She trailed off, and the dragon nodded in understanding.

The woman stood. "There is a hidden door behind those boxes. The latch is eye-level to your right. Once you get through follow the path until you come to a dead end, then turn left. You will find a ladder that leads you to an alleyway on the other side of the city."

"Why don't you come with us?" Lucy asked. The woman smiled sadly.

"While I don't enjoy my life here, it's the only life I have. Now go. If I know the master, he will come looking for you himself if you don't leave quickly."

As they turned to go Natsu said," We won't forget you. What's your name?"

The woman smiled. "My real name is not important. Call me Marvel."

And she walked out the door, and didn't look back.


	3. Author Update

Hey so I know you all are probably really irritated about how I haven't updated in awhile, and I'm sorry. I've had a little writer's block, coupled with working on other projects and school and everything. I will try to update as soon as I can, just know that never will I ever abandon a story. Please have a little patience, and I will update asap.


	4. Chapter 3

"Hey guys! How did the job go?"

"Not well." Said Erza. "We ran into some...problems."

"Ah," said Mirajane. "Well, at least you got back in time for dinner."

Lucy chuckled. "Natsu will be pleased."

Mirajane frowned as she scanned the weary group. "Where is Natsu, by the way?"

Lucy shifted nervously, but Erza remained calm. "He had to go take care of some things. He'll be back soon." Mirajane nodded, accepting their story, and began to pour them some warm soup. They were not lying, to be exact. Natsu was taking care of the dragon outside, tending to its wounds. They had decided that they would talk to Master first before introducing the dragon to the guild, to give it a little time to recuperate. But Erza was worried about what would become of the creature. They couldn't possibly keep it...could they? She continued to think as she started on her soup. The dragon was strange, that was certain. It was incredibly tiny, a dwarf among giants. It seemed younger, but not young enough to justify its size. She didn't know why, but for some reason she was surprised by its intelligence. She knew that dragons were smart and wise, having been in their presence. But there was something she saw when she looked into that dragon's eyes. Something that she couldn't name. Something that looked almost...human.

A hand grabbing her shoulder snapped her out of her thoughts, and she spun around to face Natsu, a signature grin on his face. "How is she?" Gray asked, breaking from his moody silence.

Natsu sighed, smile falling slightly. "She's fine. I'm just worried about her injuries." Erza remembered the wounds on the creature, especially the cruel wound on her muzzle. Natsu turned to Erza. "We need Wendy to look at her. I don't want those wounds getting infected."

Lucy nodded. "Why don't you go talk to Master? Then we can bring her in the guild and make it easier." Natsu nodded and stalked off toward Makarov, who was sitting drinking a few tables away. The team watched as Natsu walked over to Makarov and began to talk. Despite both of them being loud people, they couldn't hear their conversation over the rest of the guild's chatter. They could see both of them get redder and redder, until finally Natsu stomped away and sat down near Gray heavily.

"I take it didn't go well?" Gray asked. Natsu glared at him with angry eyes.

"He won't let her come in." He looked to Erza. "Would you please talk to him?"

Erza could have said no, but the pain in frustration in his eyes made her melt. He really cared about the dragon, even though they had just met. It was the least she could do, after all he's done for her.

Besides, they were a family. Family helps each other.

Erza nodded and Natsu gave her a hopeful grin as she stalked toward Makarov, eyes intent of her prey. Makarov, intent on his drink, only looked up when her shadow loomed over him.

"Ah, hello Erza," he said, swirling his mug. "How did the job go?"

"What's this I hear about forbidding the dragon inside?" she asked him bluntly.

Makarov glared at her, the beer making sticky sounds at it swirled in the mug. "I am the master of this guild, my word is law."

Erza sighed. Intimidation, though it had served her well, would not work in this situation.

Time for a different tactic.

She sat beside Makarov, who was eyeing her wearily. "Why are you so adamant about keeping the dragon out?"

"It could totally wreck the place! What if something makes is angry and it decides to burn the place down? We would be without a guild hall, and be the laughing stock of the country!"

"The same risk applies with Natsu, but you still let him in, don't you?" Makarov paused, thinking. "Listen. Ever since we found that dragon, Natsu has been happier. I think that it cheers him up to see that dragons are still around, seeing as the search for Igneel is not going well." She gave Makarov a deep stare. "This means a lot to him. That dragon needs taken care off, and the best place to do that is here, where we can keep an eye on it."

Makarov stared at her, then sighed deeply and drooped his shoulders. "Fine. But if this dragon causes trouble…"

"I'll take care of it."

Erza stood and nodded to Natsu, who immediately sprinted for the door. She looked back at Makarov. "You may want to announce this to the guild. We don't want any...surprises." Makarov nodded, then stood on the table top, beer still in hand.

"Listen up!" Makarov yelled, and everyone slowly quieted, looking at him with curiosity.

"I have an announcement to make. It seems that while Team Natsu was on its last job, the discovered a young dragon being kept prisoner and freed it." He held up his hand against the excited chatter that had risen. "I have given permission for the dragon to be allowed inside the guild hall, where we can keep an eye on it and take care of its wounds." The excited buzz started anew. Most of the guild looked excited and curious, but Mirajane and Gajeel frowned deeply. Erza stared at Gajeel. Shouldn't he be happy about there being another dragon? Maybe this dragon knew where other dragons were.

If they could get it to talk, that is.

Erza sat down as the guild continued its chatter. Erza found herself again in deep thought. She felt like Natsu had a special bond with the creature they had just met. She hadn't failed to notice what had happened in the room before the guild members arrived. _There was something there, something strong, as strong as a mother to her child. Maybe this would help Natsu cheer up and give him a distraction from Igneel._ Her thoughts turned to their escape, and they strange woman who called herself Marvel. _I need to repay her somehow. She doesn't deserve to be in that crummy guild with that kind of magic._ She remembered the stunning display of starlight soldiers fighting on their behalf, and the raw power that enveloped her like a blanket. _With that kind of power...she could do anything._

The chatter of the guild stopped abruptly, jerking Erza from her thoughts. She looked toward the door as Happy flew in, followed closely by Natsu. He stood gazing at the members with an uncharacteristically stern gaze, then looked behind him and said"It's okay, you can come in."

And the dragon entered.


	5. Chapter 4

**I'm sorry for the short chapter. Basicly I have had writers block coupled with working on other stories and creating new ones. For those who have seen my story Alchemy in the Forest, you know that it is close to completion. Also I have a lack in motivation because yesterday a friend of mine was killed in a car accident and basically everyone I know is affected, including me. Sorry updates take forever, but I will work as fast as I can. Later.**

The whole building fell silent as the dragon crept timidly into the guild hall. It snorted, and a thin plume of smoke exited its nose. The light from the open door shone brightly on her purple scales, glittering like inset diamonds. The magnificent horns barely made it through the door, deep grooves and scars adding texture. The guild members gasped in awe at the sight, but their awe turned to pity when they saw the scars shattering the perfect picture. As if noticing their stares, the dragon shrunk in on itself, trying to hide.

"Hey, knock it off you guys." Natsu said. "You're scaring her." The members blinked in surprise, then looked down guiltily.

The dragon, gaining confidence, stood taller, revealing her skinny frame. There were gasps as people caught sight of the hideous wounds, seeping and inflamed. "Hey Mira, we need your help." Natsu said calmly and Mira hustled over.

She examined the dragon, who shifted nervously. Tenderly she traced the various scars on her body, and the dragon shivered. "This is very serious," Mira said. "These wounds are not new, and the chances of infection are extremely high." She glanced at Makarov. "Will the basement suffice as a sleeping area? I want her close in case something happens." Makarov nodded, glaring at the offensive wounds still dripping blood. Mira cleared a path through the silent guild, the dragon limping after her. Natsu walked strongly by her side, placing his hand on her shoulder when he noticed her shaking, either from fear or strain. His touch seemed to calm her though, and her eyes conveyed her gratitude.

Natsu had not been in the basement often, but he was not shocked at the stacks of booze that made it almost impossible to squeeze through. With as much beer as Cana and Makarov drink, they needed this much to last them the week. A loud clattering rang through the chilly room, and the dragon grinned sheepishly, spilled wine dripping from her talons. Eventually they reached the center of the room, which had somehow been cleared. Mira was already getting out bandages and laying out blankets. The dragon sank onto the blankets with a groan.

"Ok, let's get to work."

Natsu remained by the dragon's side, absentmindedly stroking her scales. The dragon didn't seem to care, intently watching as her wounds disappeared under antiseptic cream and white gauze. Finally, once the dried blood was scrubbed off and her purple scales shined in the dim, Natsu removed his hand and helped his Mira clean up the mess. The dragon blinked with half-lidded eyes, then lowered its head and was asleep in seconds.

For a while they stood in silence, gazing upon a pristine picture. It's not like they had never seen a dragon before. But this one was different. She shifted in her sleep, and a puff of smoke exited her nostrils.

"She's beautiful."

Natsu turned his head. He hadn't heard his team enter, but they too stood hypnotized by the scene. "What's going on upstairs? It seems awfully quiet up there."

Gray snorted. "It's the middle of the night. You've been down here for at least three hours."

Mira jumped with surprise. "It's been that long? We better get home and get some sleep." Everyone slowly headed toward the door, but Natsu didn't move.

"Natsu, are you coming?" Happy called softly, and everyone glanced back at him.

Natsu meets everyone's eye, allowing them to see the seriousness in the flames. "No. I'm staying here." He glances over at her and softens slightly. "I'll look after her."

"Yeah, and the first thing she sees when she wakes up will be the creepy dude who started at her all night," Gray murmurs, and Erza whacks him in the head.

"I'm staying too." Happy declared.

To everyone's surprise, Natsu shook his head. "No, Happy. It's past your bedtime."

"I'm not tired," Happy protested, yawning.

Natsu smiled warmly. "Go with Lucy. I'll be fine." He turned to face the dragon, and did not move as they filed slowly out.


	6. Chapter 5

The cold stone kept Natsu awake, not that he would have been able to sleep anyway. From the light of his small candle he watched the rise and fall of the dragon's chest, like the waves of the ocean lapping the shore, in and out, in and out. No sounds penetrated his consciousness; everyone must have gone home. Which was fine with him. He needed some time to think.

Wow. Lucy would be impressed.

Impatience clawed at him but he forced it down. Her health was more important than his longing to find Igneel. If she knew where he was, she could tell him when she awoke. He wondered what her voice would sound like. _Why has she not spoken yet? Is she just really shy, or perhaps she hasn't learned to yet? She's so tiny, she has a really long way to go before she's fully grown_. Pity wormed a hole in his heart. _Poor thing. Where are your parents? Did they take you from them?_ At this the fire inside of his was stoked. _If they did, I will go back and destroy every last one of them until all that is left is painful memories._ The dragon shifted and he froze until he was sure she was still asleep.

He stood on silent legs and crept closer. He knew that he did probably look like a creepy stalker, but he felt like the dragon wouldn't mind. The candlelight drove the shadows into weird shapes, and as it did so lit up a strange object on the dragon's hind leg. He bent closer and frowned.

A golden band wound around like a snake, ending just before her knee. Strange carvings were etched into every available surface. The end was stuck in the dragon's muscle, as if it were a blood vessel simply growing on the outside of a body where is had no business being. The wound looked old, the skin grown over and only a faint scar shown. Gently he reached down and touched where flesh and metal joined.

He jumped back as the dragon's teeth snapped by his ear, her violet eyes alight with fury. When he was a safe distance away she shook her head and gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry," Natsu said. "I won't try to touch it again." The dragon nodded and licked her leg.

Natsu moved closer and sat on the cold floor. "Do you have a name?"

The dragon's shocked eyes snapped to his, and she nodded slowly.

He gave her an encouraging smile. "Can you tell me?"

She shook her head.

His smile faltered. "Can you speak at all?"

Another shake of her head.

He pointed at the golden band. "Does it have something to do with that?"

A nod. The dragon started as he sprang to his feet. "Ha! When I tell Lucy and Erza, they'll drop dead!" He paused, then gasped. "I could finally take on Erza!" He erupted in a ball of flame. "I'm coming for you Erza!" And with a war cry he sprinted up the stairs and out of the guild.

The dragon stared in shock at the open cellar door for several minutes, but Natsu didn't return. With a shrug she settled down and fell into a light sleep.

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Natsu's head rang like reverberating metal from Erza's punch. As he picked himself up off the floor she growled, "Natsu, what the hell? It's four in the morning. Go to sleep."

He launched himself at her as he yelled, "Not until I beat you senseless!" He flew into the wall and he swore he heard something crack. He made to rise but a sword pointed to his neck made him pause.

"This is your last warning before I decide to make you my own personal punching bag." She swept her hair out of her face as he gulped. "Why are you so wound up, anyway? I thought you were still at the guild."

He lowered his gaze. "I was, but…"

Erza sensed an opening. "But what? Did something happen?"

Natsu pushed the sword away and rose. "I noticed a strange bracelet or something on the dragon's leg while she was sleeping. It has these strange symbols on it. When I asked her about it, she told me that is was a curse."

Erza gasped. "She told you that?"

"Well, she didn't speak, but I figured out that she couldn't speak because of the bracelet." He met her eyes. "It's stuck in her, Erza. I think it must hurt her alot, because I barely touched it and she almost tore my head off."

Erza pondered. "A curse...Hmmm." After several minutes she spoke. "You said there was weird symbols, right?"

"Yeah, and weird scratches or something."

"What if it's a language? It might tell us how to get the bracelet off."

Natsu's face brightened. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get Lucy!"

"Natsu, wait-" she started, but he was already out the window and down the street. She sighed. "Lucy's going to kill you," she whispered, and slipped back into bed.

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Lucy awoke from the most beautiful dream to Natsu shaking her so hard she felt her head would snap off.

"Get out of my room!" She shrieked as her foot connected with his nose.

Natsu groaned as blood pooled in his hand. "Geez, you didn't have to kick so hard."

"What the heck are you doing, shaking me awake like that? A girl needs her beauty sleep."

"Even with a good night's sleep you're still ugly." Happy chimed in, rising with a yawn from the covers.

"You're so rude!"

Lucy's anger vanished as Natsu grabbed her hand and tugged her out of bed. "No time for that, I need you at the guild."

"Why? Did something happen? Are we being attacked?"

He answered as he dragged her into the living room. "I figured something out about the dragon, which could possibly lead me to Igneel! We have to break the curse and get the dragon to tell me where he is!"

"Natsu, slow down!" Lucy wrenched her hand away. "Can this wait till the morning?" She continued as Natsu opened his mouth to argue, "Look, is whatever you were spewing out going to somehow evaporate in the next five hours?"

Silence.

"That's what I thought." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I'm going back to bed. Stay here for a few hours if you want. We'll go to the guild in the morning." Natsu nodded as she went to the other room, Happy floating sleepily in tow.


	7. Chapter 6

"Natsu, if you don't sit still, I'm going to kick you out."

"That's not fair! I just want to see what's happening!"

"Then wait your turn like everybody else!"

Natsu huffed and sank onto a nearby bench, foot bouncing with excess energy. The cool breeze flowing in through the open door did nothing to cool his temper. He eyed the hunched figures of Lucy and Levy, engaged in quit discussion a few tables away. Happy was amusing himself by swinging from the horns of the dragon, who seem perfectly contented to be used as a playground. The guild was filled with the usual chatter, unbroken despite the glances occasionally thrown at said playground.

"Any news?"

He glanced up at Erza. "Nothing so far. They've been at it since this morning."

"I have faith they will find something, and you should too."

"I do, I just-"

Erza tilted her head. "What?"

He shuffled his feet. "I want Tanis so be able to use her voice. She might know where Igneel is."

"Tanis?"

Natsu gazed at the dragon, who had lifted her tail so Happy could use it as a slide. "That's what I decided to call her. I suggested The Purple Beast of Doom, but she didn't seem to like that."

Erza gave him a soft smile. "I think Tanis is great."

Lucy's hand smacked the table. "I found something!"

Immediately Natsu was by her side, peering over her shoulder at the open page.

Levy spoke. "It appears that the symbols are part of an ancient language called Parallax-"

"Para what now?" Natsu tilted his head.

Happy, who had been attracted to the commotion, said, "Sounds like a load of-"

"Anyway, the ancient Parallexians, according to this book, were known as fierce warriors, but also skilled healers. They were often attacking neighboring tribes for their riches. Legend has it that during one battle, a wizard from the other tribe killed the Parallax chief and took his symbol or office: a golden bracelet. When the Parallexians saw that their chief was killed and his sacred object defiled they were filled with rage, and the Parallexian wizards cursed the bracelet, so that no one without Parallexian blood could ever touch it." Levy pointed a sheet of paper, covered with copies of the bracelet symbols. "The curse is thus: Cursed is anyone who touches this bracelet, to speak no more of its secrets and to become who they truly are."

Her words were met with silence as everyone contemplated. Finally Natsu spoke. "Who cares about some ancient geezers? All that matters is if the curse can be broken." He turned to Levy. "It can, right?"

Levy glanced at the book. "It doesn't say if the curse was ever broken."

Natsu slammed his hand on the table, and everyone jumped. "That's not good enough! There has to be a way."

"Calm down, flame-for-brains." Natsu spun around and glared at Gajeel, who had joined the conversation as silently as a shadow. "It can't be that bad. She's not dead or anything."

"Have you know sympathy? That bracelet obviously hurts her." Tanis shrank at the brief attention.

Gajeel scoffed. "Maybe she just needs to toughen up a little."

Everyone gazed at Gajeel, shocked. Erza stepped forward, a hand on the pommel of her sword. "Gajeel, maybe you should stop."

He smirked. "I'm not scared of you." His eyes roamed the crowd until they stopped on a certain blue-haired bookworm. They lay there for several seconds, then he sighed in defeat. "Whatever. I'm out of here." The group parted as he stalked out the door without so much as a backward glance.

"Sheesh. What was his problem?"

Levy sighed. "I've heard whispers circulation through the guild. Some people think that Tara is a spy, that she was sent here as a trap."

"What?" Lucy whispered, and Natsu growled.

Erza laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Let it go, Natsu. They are just rumors, they can't do anything about it."

"Let's just worry about Tara, okay?"

Natsu glanced at Lucy, and his anger faded. He took a deep breath. "All right. What do we need to do?"

"There is a chance that if we go to the temple, we could find how to break the curse." Levy turned to Tara, who was gazing over her shoulder at the book. "Do you think you could find the temple."

Tara paused, then nodded her head slowly.

Makarov, who had been unusually silent, said, "This curse must be lifted. I give you leave to journey to this temple, wherever that may be."

"Then we will set out in two days." Erza said. "Natsu and I will go with Tara."

Voices raised in indignation. "There is no way you are leaving me behind!" Lucy shouted.

Erza sighed. "Alright, you can come."

"I'm going too." Gray stepp forward.

"Gray?" Lucy exclaimed. "Why do you want to go?"

He shuffled his feet and muttered, "Well, she seems like part of the guild. And in this guild we help each other." He glanced up seriously. "No one should have to live under a curse."

"Then it's settled. Meet back here in two days at dawn. I'll work on getting us provisions."

"And I'll keep researching to see if I can find anything that could be of help."

Lucy laid a hand on her shoulder. "I'll help you."

As everyone dispersed Natsu joined Tara, who had slumped to the floor. "Come on, Tara. You can come to my place." Tara perked her head, and jumped to her feet eagerly. "Happy, let's go home. We have a lot of work to do."


	8. Chapter 7

A knock on the door broke the man's concentration. "Come in." he called out, and as his guest entered laid the pile of papers in his hands on his expensive mahogany desk. As the woman across from him made herself comfortable, he took the time to study her; she was quite pretty, although too young for his taste. Lush brown hair fell down to eloquent shoulders and a slim didn't look like a fighter, but his sources all told him differently. He would have to watch himself around her.

"Good morning, Miss…"

" Ada. Ada Aldrich."

He blinked in surprise. "Aldrich? As in John Aldrich? The mercenary?"

Ada nodded. "He was my father."

"Was?"

"He passed away a few years."

The man sighed. "I am sorry to hear that. I had the privilege of meeting him once, and I have since relished that memory."

Ada nodded tensely, and changed the subject. "Why have you called me here?"

He folded his hands, and didn't fail to notice the thin blanket of sweat that had broken out on his body. "I wanted your report on the progress of our..deal."

"It is going smoothly. Fairy Tail has yet to catch wind of our plan, and I have full confidence that they can be fooled until it is too late."

"Do we expect any casualties?"

"Death is part of the deal, sir."

The man nodded. "I had hoped that we could do this without bloodshed, but if the death of Fairy Tail is the price for Lord Zeref's return, then I shall pay it in full. Proceed at your own disclosure, but I want constant updates on your progress. You are dismissed."

Ada stood but did not leave. "When can I expect my payment?"

The man opened the nearest drawer and tossed a heavy purse onto the desk. The coins clinked, and he saw her eyes gleam. "200,000 jewels now, the rest when Zeref returns."

She snatched up the bag, and with barely a nod, strode out of the room.

When he was sure she was gone, he put his head in his hands, coarse hair scraping his palms. He hated mercenaries, had always hated doing business with them. But John… he had been different. He was a good man, and it truly pained him that he had not even had the chance to express hs gratitude before his passing. He knew that had Ada been anyone else, he would not have even paid them a tenth of what he offered her. But the least he could do was make sure she had enough to survive.

He just hoped that this would be enough.

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Knock. Knock.

Gajeel rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he struggled to get off of the couch. Normally he would just yell at Lily to get it, but he was out shopping at the moment. Gajeel just hoped he remembered to bring something other than fish back to eat.

Knock. Knock.

"Alright, I'm up," he grumbled, and rolled to his feet. He expected many things when he unlocked the door, but Levy wasn't one of them. She stood nervously, shuffling the book in her hands in agonized circles. She blushed, and it was then that he realized he had no shirt on. His heart fluttered.

"Wadaya want, shrimp?" He internally cringed at his sharp tone, but Levy took no notice.

"I...I just wanted to check on how you were doing."

He stared at her for a long moment, and she squirmed under his gaze. Finally he sighed. "Do you want to come in or not?"

Her face flashed with surprise, and he could practically feel the heat coming off of her. "Uh...sure, I guess."

As he turned on the lights in the kitchen and set about making tea, he couldn't resist sneaking a few glances over his shoulder at Levy, sitting in one of the uncomfortable straight-backed chairs around the table. When the tea was done he poured some into two cups and sat down opposite of Levy, and waited for her to speak.

"So...how are you feeling?"

"I'm all right. You?'

"Oh, I'm good. I was just wondering how you were. You seemed a little tense today."

He sighed internally. So this is what she came to talk about. "You want to know why I said what I said, don't you?"

Levy nodded. "If you don't mind, that is. I won't tell anyone else."

He gave her a long look. He was not a very trusting person, but he had always known, somehow, that he could count on Levy to keep a secret. And she seemed to genuinely care about what was bothering him…

"Alright. But don't tell anyone."

She took a sip of her tea as he began. "I just think it is too coincidental. Dragons have been gone for years, off to God knows where. And for someone to just stumble on one, especially one so young, it seems too good to be true. That the dragons could be found if we just looked in the right place."

"But isn't that a good thing? You have hope now. Maybe you _can_ find them."

"But that's the problem." He ran a hand through his windswept hair. "What if this is a trap? What if someone decided to plant bunny trails in the hope of catching us off-guard?"

"But why would anyone do that?"

"I don't know. But I just have this feeling."

Levy set down her empty cup. "Gajeel, I think you may be a little paranoid. Seeing a dragon again has been a surprise for all of us. Maybe, once you get used to the idea of Tara being around, it will fade."

Gajeel drummed his fingers on the table. "Maybe you're right." But while he wanted to believe that, deep down something was amiss. He would keep a close eye on Tara, whether anyone else liked it or not.

They both jumped as the lock jiggled and Pantherlily hopped into the room, carrying a paper sack full of fish. He paused when he say them sitting at the table. "Oh. Hello Levy. I didn't know you were coming for a visit."

She stood up so fast that the chair almost fell over. "It's okay, I was just leaving."

Gajeel stood and walked her to the door. Before she stepped into the hall she turned. "Thank you. For sharing. And the tea."

He gave her a rare smile. "You're welcome. I'll see you tomorrow."

She blushed. "Yeah, I'll-I'll see you."

The door shut softly behind her, and Gajeel released a breath he didn't know he was holding. Pantherlily raised his eyebrows.

"What did I miss?'

"Shut up."


	9. Chapter 8

The summer sun beat down mercilessly upon the group, but it didn't bother Natsu. The sounds of the rest of his group, struggling to keep up, did nothing to slow his pace. He stared straight ahead, ignoring the lush forest around them. There was only the open road ahead of him. Well, more of a trail, really. Not many people chose to travel through the forest; there were faster routes to choose from, not to mention whatever dark and dangerous creatures that came out at night to feast on human flesh. But when Levy had drawn the fastest course on their old, weather-beaten map, it went right through the middle of the trees.

"Go through the forest?" Lucy had asked, shivering. "Do you know what...things, lurk there? We could be eaten, or torn apart, or-"

"Don't worry, Lucy." Natsu struck a ninja pose. "I'll protect you with my ninja powers."

"If we're depending on Natsu to protect Lucy, she might not get there in one piece."

Gray and Natsu locked heads and started throwing insults. So used to it, everyone else ignored them. Levy continued. "It's the fastest way, Lu. We don't know exactly what the details of this curse are, and since Tara can't tell us then we'll have to guess." She followed the line she had drawn. "You should reach the temple on the other side of the forest, just before the Dragonridge Mountains. If you set a good pace, it should only take you three or four days to reach it."

Soon after they departed, to the cheering of their fellow guildmates, calling out

farewells. They had left through the back door, choosing to walk around the town to avoid detection. Staying off the main roads, it wasn't long before they had entered the shade of the towering elms and oaks.

They had not seen an open space in hours.

The forest stretched forever on either side of the winding road, a wall of living stone. Natsu, who could no longer ignore the distress of his friends, paused beneath an old birch, covering the road with its branches.

Tara galloped to his side and flopped onto the cool moss, panting like a dog. Because of the density of the trees, she had been unable to take to the air. He felt bad; it must be hard, not being able to do what you were made to do. Maybe she didn't know how to fly. She was still so young. Tara, sensing his gaze, glanced up and gave him a goofy grin.

The rest of his group arrived as he patted her snout, purring like a cat. "What the heck, Natsu?" Gray hissed. "Why do you have to run off all the time?"

Natsu smirked. "Not my fault you can't keep up. You're just jealous because I'm obviously tougher than you."

Gray, now shirtless, got in his face. "You want to go, hot head?"

"I could kick your butt, ice breath."

"Boys!" Both of them gulped as Erza towered above them.

"Sorry, ma'am!"

She set her bag amidst the roots. She had only brought one bag, a backpack, surprising was known for bringing an insane amount of unnecessary luggage. So what made this trip different?

"Let's rest her for a little bit. We've been walking all morning."

Lucy sighed with relief, slipping off her shoes and rubbing her feet. "Thanks, Erza."

While the others relaxed in the shade, Tara stood and padded deeper into the trees and Natsu followed, curious. She stood out like a sore thumb, her purple scales sparkling like rare jewels. Natsu had to keep himself from laughing as her horns snagged on overhanging vines and leaves until she looked like a walking tree. She shot him a glare as a snicker finally escaped him.

"Sorry," he said, trying, and failing, to be serious. She trampled on until they reached a little stream. The clear water winded through the undergrowth, serpentine and cold. Tara lowered her head and drank deeply in great sucking gulps. Natsu observed her. Watched the sunlight dance through her horns, wreathing her head like a halo, the water dribbling down her chin. In this light, one could almost not see her scars.

He suddenly spoke. "Do you know a dragon named Igneel?"

Tara took a last gulp of water, and when she raised her head she shook her head.

Natsu's heart almost broke. Tara, sensing the change, trodded over and rested her oversized head on his shoulder. He laid his hand absentmindedly on her jaw as he said, "I just thought that you might have met him. He's my dad, you know." Her eyes widened. "Yeah, I know, but he taught me everything I know about magic and being a dragonslayer, and he taught me how to fight, and how to read, and…" Unshed tears clouded his vision. "And then one day, he was just gone. No note, no goodbye. He disappeared." He lowered his head to hide the tears falling like rain. "That was years ago. And I've been looking for him ever since."

Tara gurgled. His legs gave out and Tara managed to catch him before he collapsed. His mind numbed by grief he sank to his knees. With his sadness came a sense of relief. It was so hard, keeping everyone from noticing his pain, to remain strong when every day that Igneel was gone, the panic and hopelessness inside him grew like weeds, choking every happy thought. So he let himself cry as Tara wrapped herself around him, and he was embraced by her warmth.

As he slowly calmed down he became aware of her warm breath on his neck, and the raspy tongue combing the back of his head in silent comfort. And when he finally pulled away and stood, he saw understanding in her eyes, not judgement.

He wiped his eyes. "Thank you, Tara."

A slight nodded.

Natsu sniffed, and his heart felt lighter than it had in a long time. "Let's keep going."


	10. Chapter 9

Tara couldn't sleep.

The cool night air contracted with the warmth of their fire, which Natsu had stoked to a blazing epiphany. She gazed over their group. Natsu and Happy cuddled under a thin blanket, Natsu holding him like a stuffed animal. The others lay spread out under their own blankets, peaceful under the canopy.

She gazed up; she wished she could she the stars. On her travels there hadn't been a night where she hadn't gazed up at their brilliant glory and not wondered if her family was looking at the same constellations, the same shooting star.

Had wondered if she would ever see them again.

She gave herself a shake. She couldn't sit her, brooding. She stood, making sure the others were undisturbed, and padded into the forest.

The fonds of drooping limbs brushed against her horns, the soft earth sinking beneath her claws, the overwhelming smell of growing things.

She hated it. Had always hated the forests that lay speckled across the countryside. One couldn't stretch their wings or soar into the air when you could barely even move them. She cocked her head as the gurgling of a nearby brook reached her ears, the hooting of a startled owl in the backdrop.

A twig snapped. Years of honing her instincts had her on alert, scanning the darkness beneath the ferns and the overhanging limbs. The undergrowth shook, and the biggest wolf she had ever seen stalked out.

She had encountered wolves before. Usually they took one look at her and left her alone. But sometimes, driven by hunger, they decided to take their chances, and it hadn't well. For them. But this wolf looked to be a different sort of predator. Despite its size, it was still a lot smaller than her, but it showed no fear. It sat a few feet away and simply gazed at her with lupin curiosity.

It's dark brown eyes looked almost...human.

And Tara realized why this was no ordinary wolf. It was just like her.

 _Hello._

The wolf blinked, and dipped its head. _Greetings. What brings you to these woods, windwalker?_

She held out her leg, and the wolf sniffed the tight gold band wrapped around it. _I was cursed._

The wolf growled. _Were you stupid enough to enter a Parallexian temple?_

She hung her head. The wolf snapped. _You know those places are dangerous to our kind._

She sighed. _I know. But I thought that I mind find something to help me find my family._

The wolf's anger faded, replaced with sympathy. _How old are you, young one?_

 _17._

 _And when was the last time you saw your family?_

 _10 years ago._

The wolf padded closer and laid a paw on her leg. _Windwalker, I am four-hundred years old. I was seperated from my family as well, and despite my years I have found no trace of them._ Brown eyes stared into purple ones. _I can only assume that they don't want to be found._

She pulled back. _What are you saying?_

 _Your family...they might not want you back._

She snarled. _How can you say that?! My family loves me, and I know deep down that they are still looking for me. I will not give up until I find them._

The wolf said nothing, but she could still see pity in his eyes. He glanced over her shoulder. _The people you are traveling with. Do they know?_

 _No._

 _And will you tell them?_

She ran a claw through the soil. _I don't know._

The wolf grunted and rose. _The red-haired one is awake. You should return to your companions._

Tara stood. _It was nice to meet you._

 _You as well, Windwalker. If ever you require assistance, call out my name, and I will come._

 _And what is your name?_

The wolf thought. _In my life I have had many names in my life, but you may call me Tsunataka._

 _Farewell, Tsunataka._

 _Farewell._ Then Tsunataka turned and vanished into the trees.

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When Tara returned Erza was indeed awake, staring into the fire as if the secret of life lay deep inside it's burning heart. As she padded into the circle of light Erza jumped.

"Tara. I was wondering where you had gone off to. Everything all right?"

Tara nodded and plopped beside the wizard. Neither said anything for a while, and Tara was just nodding off when Erza cleared her throat.

"So.. Do you know what happened to Natsu earlier?"

Tara hesitated. Nobody had said anything when Natsu and Tara had returned to the group, but she could tell they noticed Natsu's red-rimmed eyes and the tear tracks etched down his face. She gave a slow nod.

"If you could tell me, would you?"

Tara shook her head.

Erza smiled slightly. "Good. Whatever happened is no one's business. If Natsu wanted me to know, he would tell me." She laid a hand on Tara's scales. "I'm glad you came into his life, Tara. And I'm glad we can help you."

Tara laid her snout on Erza's head and her breath ruffled her scarlet hair.

She pulled away, and Erza yawned. "We still have a few hours before dawn. You should try to get some more sleep."

Tara returned to her spot by the fire, and fell asleep thinking about open skies and the howling of wolves.


	11. Chapter 10

Several days passed. They were all the same to Tara. They would wake, stopping a few times throughout the day, and fall, exhausted, before a roaring fire at night, and repeat. Even Natsu seemed to be lagging, lacking his usual, infectious energy.

"AHHHHH!" She jumped as Natsu spewed flames into the bright blue sky. "I can't take this anymore! When are we going to get there!?"

He keeled over as Erza clubbed in the back of the head with her arm. "Are you crazy!? You told everything in this forest where we are!"

He popped up, a raging ball of fire. "So? We can take whatever comes our way! Why are you so scared?!"

"She's right, Flame-for-brains." Gray said, sweat running down his bare chest. "There are things in this forest that eat magic power. We don't want to tangle with them."

Natsu glared at the ice wizard. "You really believe those old stories? Those were made to scare kids before bed so they wouldn't wet the bed."

Lucy deadpanned. "I don't really think that's true, Natsu, but I think it's better to be safe than sorry."

"Speak for yourself." Happy said, perched on one of Tara's horns like a parrot. "Unlike you, Natsu can take care of himself. He doesn't need anyone to save him."

"You better watch it, cat, or you're gonna get hurt."

"Natsu, save me!"

"Enough!" Erza yelled, and everyone quieted down. "Natsu, we still have a ways to go, so you better get used to the walking."

Natsu whined, "Isn't there a faster way?"

Erza grinned. "Not unless you wanted to take-a cart?"

Natsu turned green and squeaked, "No thank you."

"Then the sooner we continue, the faster we will get there."

The group continued walking, Happy flying above Natsu's head as the dragon slayer said something to Lucy, which caused her to burst out laughing.

Then she felt it.

She froze, and the wizards continued on. No, not here. Not now. She prayed to every god in existence that the feeling would pass. The thread of darkness wrapped around her heart in a tightening squeeze. She couldn't breath. She was about to pass out. She needed to RUN!

"Tara, what's wrong?" Natsu's voice pierced the fog in her brain, but she dared not look up. She couldn't let him see- _wouldn't_ let him see. Her eyes would give her away.

She tried to roar a warning, but the coil was now wrapped around her neck like a noose. Her body shook as she tried to fight it off. But she knew it was a losing battle. As darkness enveloped her mind her only thought was that she had now lost the only friends she had ever made in her life.

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"Tara, what's wrong?" Natsu asked, worry clawing at his heart. Everyone stopped and turned to look at the young dragon. His friend look well; her scales looked bleached, and her breath was labored. His sensitive hearing picked up the racing of her heart.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

"Tara!" he shouted as she collapsed, shaking. He sprinted to her side, the rest of the group in tow. "Tara?" he asked, touching her snout. The dragon gave no response.

"Natus, is she okay?" Happy asked from Lucy's arms, their argument forgotten.

"I don't-"

He jumped back as Tara's jaws missed his hand by an inch. She lurched to her feet, swaying.

"Tara, what's the matter with you? You almost bit my hand off!" The dragon's eyes finally raised to his, and he couldn't stop a gasp of horror. The eyes that stared back at him- the eyes he had grown fond off- showed no hint of understanding or compassion. The human-like spark was gone, replaced with animal hunger and insatiable rage.

"Scatter!" he yelled as Tara pounced on him like a leopard. Natsu rolled to his right and avoided the attack, and out of the corner of his eye he saw his friends gearing for battle.

"Open, Gate of the Lion, Leo!" Lucy shouted The spirit popped into existence, but before he could speak Lucy ordered, "Help Natsu take out Tara. Just please don't hurt her."

"Got it."

Natsu expelled his flames in a forceful attack. "Fire Dragon Roar!" The flames curled like a living flame, wrapping themselves around Tara until she was obscured from view.

"Natsu!" Lucy yelled. "Did you hurt her?"

Tara jumped out of the flames, bellowing in rage. "See, she's fine!" Natsu answered. Tara growled, her attention know on Leo, he stood in front of Lucy.

"Come on! Is that all you got," the spirit taunted. Tara leaned back on her hind legs until she towered above them all, like a vengeful god. Her small wings expanded to their full extent; their tips touched the trees on either side of the road. Powerful muscles tensed, and her wings pushed a gust of wind in a dynamic show of strength. The group braced themselves as best they could, bust as the attack continued Natsu felt his grip begin to slip.

"Requip!" Natsu glanced up as Erza flew over his head in her Heaven's Wheel Armor, a flock of swords following in her wake. Despite Tara's wind, Erza shot above the dragon's head. "Trinity Sword!" The blue energy wave from Erza's sword cut into Tara's back, and she toppled to the ground, bellowing in pain.

"Regulus!" Leo launched himself at Tara, managing to get a few hits in before a bloodied claw nearly decapitated him.

Tara struggled to rise. "Ice Make: Cage!" Gray thrust out a fist and bars of ice formed around Tara. She gave an energetic kick, but the ice held firm. She roared in frustration, slamming herself against the bars, but Gray's magic was too strong.

"Good job, Gray!" Lucy said, patting the ice wizard on the shoulder.

Gray grinned. "There's no way she's getting out of that."

Just then Tara, who had quieted, cried out, and charged the bars again, this time with her horns lowered like a charging ram. With little effort she plowed a hole through the bars, and, weakened by the dragon's charge, they dissolved into the air.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

The got into their fighting stances as Tara prepared to once again charge. Suddenly, exhausted, Tara fell to her knees, her breath coming in ragged gasps. And when she met Natsu's eyes, he saw that they again were soft and human-like.

Tara was back.


	12. Chapter 11

Light.

Blinding light.

It was the first thing that Tara recognized as she swam out of the inky blackness. The second was that her body hurt; pain flashed from bleeding cuts and black-blue bruises. The third was the worried, cautious faces of her friends standing above her. Why were they looking at her like that? What happened? Then she remembered.

She crouched low to the ground, lowering her eyes. Maybe if she begged, they wouldn't kill her. And maybe the would anyway. It wasn't the first time Tara had lost control among friends. It wouldn't be the last time she was chased away, either.

But the thought of leaving these people she had grown to like...stabbed deeper than anything she had ever felt. So she would not run.

She only hoped her death would be quick.

"Tara?" Natsu's confused voice made her glance up. He….didn't look mad, just puzzled. "What happened?"

She gulped and shook her head. His frown deepened. "It is something to do with-" he pointed to the bracelet. "-that?"

She shook her head. No. This was not because of the curse upon her. This was something far greater in magnitude.

More instinctual.

Tara felt a presence behind her, and spun to face the threat. Lucy raised her hands in surrender, backing away swiftly. "Hey, easy."

Tara backed away from the group, keeping low to the ground, never taking her eyes of either one. This was it. Surely they would want her gone, now that they couldn't trust her to not try to kill them at random.

Natsu took a step forward. She took a step back.

"Tara." She eyed Erza, who slowly advanced to Natsu's side. She spoke calmly, making no sudden moves. "We're not going to hurt you."

Natsu's eyes widened. "You-you thought-" He stood, dumbfounded. She paused. Weren't they angry?

Gray, who had been staring thoughtfully at the dirt, spoke, "Tara, we don't hurt our teammates."

Teammates? The word was foreign to her. They considered her a...a teammate?

Natsu walked forward, and she forced herself not to back away, her body shaking with fear. He crouched, looking right in her eyes. "Tara…" his voice cracked. Instead of talking he reached out a hand and rested it on her snout, a recreation of the first time they met. Heat blazed from the spot, and she felt herself relax. He sighed when he say the tension leave her body. "Has this happened before?"

She nodded. There was no point in denying it.

"And does it happen...often?"

She paused. This was one that couldn't be answered with a simple nod. The fits appear at random intervals, always when she was in public or with friends. She decided to just shrug.

Natsu nodded, and gave her an encouraging smile.A small flame blossomed in her heart. He stood. "Well, whatever it is, we will take it as it comes. It won't stop us from getting that curse off you." He glanced over his shoulder at the silent group. "Right, guys?"

Lucy nodded, as did Erza. Gray gave a thumbs up, and Happy said, "aye, sir!" All had the look of determination.

Even if she could have spoken, she would have been at a loss for words. Never in her life had she seen such kindness...or such loyalty. She felt the corners of her eyes prick with tears, and she rubbed them away fiercely with her paw.

"Hey." Natsu's gentle hand rested on one of her horns. "Don't cry. Save them for when that bracelet come off, okay?"

She stood, nodding. She sniffed, trying to gain control her emotions. Though her eyes still waters, she still saw Natsu smile. "Come on, let's take a look at your wounds. I might have accidentally blasted you with fire."

Tara let Natsu led her to a shady spot underneath a nearby tree, and she sank down with a grateful sigh. Exhaustion hit her like a speeding train, and she laid her head on her paws and drifted off to sleep.

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Tara was still asleep when night fell in the forest.

The group sat far enough away that the light of the fire wouldn't disturb the sleeping dragon. They ate from a small rabbit-like creature that Erza had caught in a cleverly designed trap. Though it didn't have a lot of meat, they made sure to set aside a piece for their friend.

Conversation was at a minimum. They stared into the flames, each in his own thoughts. The woods were also silent, as if holding its breath.

Finally Lucy spoke. "Natsu, how's your shoulder?"

He shrugged. During their fight today Tara had managed to snag a nice cut through his vest and into his arm. He hadn't even noticed it until blood had run down his arm and was dripping like a leaky faucet onto the thirsty ground.

He was thankful. It could have been worse.

"I'm fine, Luce."

They again fell into an awkward silence.

"Are we going to ignore the elephant in the room?"

Erza sighed. Leave it to Gray to get right to the point. "Doesn't seem like there's much to discuss."

"Not much to discuss!" He ignored their pleas to speak quietly. "Tara totally flipped out today! What do we do if it happens again?"

Natsu snarled. "Are you suggesting that we leave her here, alone?"

Gray growled. "I never suggested that! I'm only saying that there has got to be a way to control it."

Erza stood with a dark look on her face, and both boys gulped. "Would you two please be quiet!" Lucy and Happy deadpanned at the volume of her voice. "None of us have the answers. We'll just have to deal with it. Understand?" She shot Gray a glare, and he murmured under his breath.

Erza sat back down and leaned back on her elbows. "Get some sleep. I'll keep watch."

Slowly the group drifted off to sleep, and not even noticed the silhouette watching them from the shadows.


	13. Chapter 12

The hair on the back of Natsu's neck rose. He glanced over his shoulder into the darkness and sniffed. Nothing but the smoke from their fire and his friends. He turned back around. The group snored on, oblivious to the coming dawn. Tara slept peacefully, exhausted from her ordeal the day before.

Natsu frowned. What happened yesterday….well, he had never seen anything like it before. He thought of her fear, that she thought he was going to hurt her…

A soft growl escaped his lips. It obviously wasn't the first time she lost control around someone.

 _What had happened?_

He swiveled his eyes, scanning the darkness. He picked up nothing out of the ordinary, but his paranoia persisted.

Something was watching them.

A twig snapped in the distance and he lept to his feet. The firelight flickered, as if it wanted to run away from whatever was out there. Despite himself a shard of fear wiggled in his heart. Fire erupted from his hands, familiar, warm, safe. His courage soared.

Stepping out of the circle of light her glared into the night.

"Who's there?" he whispered, careful not to wake the group. Nothing answered him.

With barely a glance he strolled into the forest.

Away from the fire the waning night was cold, ruffling Natsu's hair and the leaves on the surrounding trees. With no noticeable path in sight he made his own trying, and failing, to avoid the twigs and sticks scattered like discarded bones.

A few minutes in he stopped, looking around. He could see nothing beyond his small circle of light. Shadows flickered across the forest floor, slithering across a carpet of leaves.

The hair on his neck prickled, and he swerved to the side, the projectile barely missing his skin. He snarled, crouching in a defensive position. "Who's there?!" he growled, his whole body blazing. A movement from the corner of his eye. He jumped as several more….things….missed his legs by a hair. He launched a ball of fire in the general direction of the shots, lighting a couple of dry trees on fire. In the added light Natsu was finally able to get a good look at his attacker.

It was….well, Natsu didn't really know what to call it. Thought smaller than what he had first thought, the quadropad seemed to be liquid shadow, almost never taking a definite shape. Muscular legs, adorned with claws tipped with blood, shredded the dead leaves. No hair was on its body except for around its eyes, which glared at him in hunger. It opened its mouth, and its scarred maw split into four equal part, each lined with yellow fangs. It crouched and its tail, which Natsu only just noticed, flung forward and Natsu ducked as another projectile slammed into a tree behind him.

"You want to play, big guy?" he taunted, and the creature hissed, eyes slitting. It ignored the fire, which had spread to several other trees, almost encircling the two warriors in a ring of fire. Smoke made the air hazy and he coughed.

Erza was going to kill him if this thing didn't first.

The creature spun, sending out a circle of darts, flying in all directions. Natsu dove for the safety of the ground, but not before one imbedded itself in his leg.

He groaned as pain set his nerves on fire, but soon was on his feet. He'd deal with his wounds after he was out of danger. He'd handled worse before.

He glanced around the clearing. The creature had disappeared. The fire was getting stronger, now a dull roar of sound in the broken peace, making quick work of the dry limbs and leaves. It was now almost impossible to see, black smoke stinging his eyes. He needed to get back to the group. Hopefully Gray would be able to put out the flames before it ravaged the whole forest. He took a step forward...and fell flat on his face.

"What?" he gasped in disbelief, glancing at his leg. The area around the dart was a sickening green and purple, spreading out in line from the spot of entry. Gathering his feet underneath him he again rose, only to fall on his back.

He growled. Something was wrong with his leg. He couldn't walk.

How was he going to get out of here?

He shrugged away the slight twinge of fear. Well, he thought, if I can't walk, I'll crawl. Flipping onto his stomach he made a beeline for a break in the trees, a spot where, as of yet, there were no flames. As he crawled through the dirt, dust smearing his face, he thought about how he was going to explain himself this time.

Perhaps his lack of concentration was the reason he fell into the hole.

As Natsu lugged himself forward another inch his hand met only air, and before he could scoot backward he was falling headfirst into a black hole, an abyss with no known bottom. He clawed at the wall for a handhold, but the dirt crumpled under his weight. He didn't even have time to brace himself as he suddenly slammed into a pile of rock.

He lay stunned, the rocks around him shifting. When he finally could breath again he sat up slowly. Besides a few bleeding scrapes and cut, and of course his injured leg, he appeared to be fine. He looked around. He had landed on an outcropping, and a glance over the edge showed only inky blackness. Faint light shined from above, and he could just make out the edge of the hole.

He grabbed the wall and it took more effort than he expected to stand. His whole leg radiated with pain, and he could feel heat spreading out from the wound. Whatever is on that dart was obviously not good. He needed to get out of here. Maybe one of Lucy's celestial spirits would be able to help him. Suddenly the world spun, and Natsu got a face-full of rock as he collapsed. His strength failed him as he tried to rise. Darkness creeped into the edge of his vision and he fought to stay conscious. He couldn't give up. No one else knew he was here. If he passed out, there was a good chance that he might never open them again.

Panting he used what little strength he had left and stood, placing all weight on his non-injured leg. Sweat trickled into his eyes and another wave of dizziness threatened to topple him. When it had passed he opened eyes that he didn't know had been closed, and frowned. Was it just him, or was it getting hotter? Smoke funneled into the cavern, and Natsu hacked. The fire was getting closer.

He turned to the wall. The only way out of his predicament was to climb. Reaching for a handhold he groped the wall desperately for something, anything, to grab onto. He was only rewarded by a blanket of dirt.

Natsu's strength gave out, and he sank to the ground. The area around the projectile felt numb and even though he had no experience with medicine and injuries he could tell that it wasn't good. The air seemed to choke him, and he struggled to breath. His eyes found the top of the hole, easier to see now that the fire had spread.

"Help," he croaked, but no one answered.

He was trapped.


	14. Chapter 13

Tara's dreams were rough. An ash-covered field, an endless drop into nothingness. Trapped on a ledge, hurt and unable to escape as smoke threatened to choke her, she couldn't breathe…

With a gasp Tara opened her eyes, breathing hard. Another nightmare. She was used to them, but they had stopped for a while after meeting the Fairy Tail wizards. Guess they were coming back. She had almost hoped that they would be gone for good.

She took a deep breath to calm herself...and paused. She sniffed again. The undeniable stench of smoke flooded her nostrils. So it wasn't just a dream. Just over the trees she could see the glow of the flames, sneakily looking like the oncoming dawn. They had to get out of here, before the fire spread.

She turned to the group, counting heads….and coming up one short.

Natsu was gone.

Jumping to her paws she sprinted to the nearest prone form, Gray. She nudged him roughly with her snout, and he responded with a groan.

"Come on, Tara, it's not even dawn yet."

She ignored his complaining, nudging him even harder. He swatted a hand at her like he would to an annoying fly and rolled over. _Fine_ , Tara thought with a huff. Carefully she clenched her teeth onto the back of his pants (his shirt was missing) and yanked. With a yell Gray woke up swinging from her jaws. "Okay, OKAY, put me down, I'm awake!"

His shout had awoken the others, and as Tara sat down the annoyed ice wizard they stood, rubbing sleep from their eyes.

"What's going on?" Happy asked, yawning.

Tara roared, putting as much urgency into it as she could.

The group snapped to attention.

"Look!" Lucy said, pointing to the bright skyline.

"We've got to get out-"

Tara interrupted Erza, shaking her head. The panic began to grow, the feeling like she was

in danger, trapped.

Natsu. She had to find Natsu.

Roaring she charged into the trees. The surprised shouts of the wizards were already muffled by the thick trunks. She charged on, ignoring the branches that scratched at her eyes. She knew, logically, that she should be running in the other direction. Natsu was a fire wizard; the flames wouldn't hurt him. But still, she felt the pull on her heart, a tug stronger than instinct.

The air around her grew hotter, and she could feel the heat seeping from the ground. She would need to be careful; her scales were fireproof, to an extent. She needed to find him and get clear as fast as possible.

In the distance she saw the outer edge of the fire snaking though the trees. _Please don't be in there,_ she prayed to whatever gods were listening. Before she took another step something made her pause. She skidded to a halt mere inches from the edge of a gigantic hole.

She glanced down, seeing nothing but darkness and coiling smoke. As she began to walk around the circle, however, a whisper of wind blew through the hole. She stopped. She looked again. Nothing. But as she continued walking the whisper of wind blew again, but this time more distinct, sounding almost like...a voice.

She spun back to the hole, staring down with more intensity. _Natsu, are you down there?_

A cough echoed off the walls and the scent of Natsu, masked by the smoke, came into focus. A river of relief flowed through her veins.

Now she just had to get him out.

She ran the edge of the circle, looking for a good place to drop down, aware of the fire

creeping closer. She was running out of time.

Lowering herself over the edge she groped for a grip with her hind claws. Slowly, too slowly in her mind, she began climbing down. Though she had her wings tucked in as close as possible to her body, she was almost too big. With her tail she searched out any obstacles below and cracks she could wedge her feet into. The dirt was soft, and more than once she slid precariously down several feet, almost losing her grip. Throughout her climb she kept her ears peeled for any more sign of life, but heard only her own labored breathing.

Not a good sign.

Her tail whapped against an outcropping of rock, and she carefully lowered herself onto it. The natural darkness of being underground and the swirling smoke made sight impossible. She took a whiff and almost choked on the scent of smoke, much stronger now. Running her claws over the surface of the rock she crept forward. Her paw touched a lump of rock, and she stepped over it. It wasn't until her tail was sliding over the lump that it groaned.

Whirling around she nuzzled the prone form of Natsu; his scent overwhelmed her nostrils, tinged with blood and sickness.

"Tara?" His voice made her heart crack; it was weak and small, so unlike Natsu. _Her_ Natsu.

She groped around, maneuvering her paws underneath his body, and, lifting him into the air, deposited him on her back. His hands wrapped around her neck, tiny lines of heat racing through his body,

"Let's get out of here," he whispered, and she hummed an affirmative. She made her way back to the wall and began the journey upward, which was a lot longer than going down. She tried to keep her body as level as possible, but in some places it was only Natsu's grip that kept him from plummeting to his death.

Eventually she clambered up out of the hole onto the last bit of solid ground. Feet away the fire raged, its roar drowning out every other sound. She sprang away, racing through the trees to stay ahead of the flames. Natsu lay slouched over her shoulder, unconscious. She glanced up, and almost lost her footing. The fire had circled around, coming at her from the front and behind.

She swerved to the left, ducking below branches, stepping over exposed roots. The fire closed in from both sides, and she increased her speed. The smoke made her eyes water, and she had to fight to keep from coughing as it entered her lungs.

She kept running. Her muscles burned, and she knew it wouldn't be long until they quit. Her only option was to take to the air, but that wasn't possible at the moment. She would need to stay ahead of the flames until she came to a clearing. _Easier said than done._

Fire flared through her vision and she jumped like a deer over a spark. Everything was yellow and orange, blinding and dangerous. The fire was close enough now that she could feel its heat. She was running out of room. She glanced up, but only say the underbelly of leaves soon to be dead. _Just a little farther._ She forced herself to go faster, ignoring the pain in her muscles.

The fire lashed out at her as she passed, closing up the path behind her. Despite her desperation she began to slow. Blood leaked from the reopened cuts, and a few new ones in the mix. Her breath rasped through her lungs, now full of smoke. Blackness crowded the corners of her vision, and she blinked it away. Ahead the fire circled her in, trapping her between walls of flame. Yet she kept running. There was no way she was going to die here, let Natsu die here. Bracing herself for the pain she turned to the nearest wall of fire and jumped into it.

Her body burned, the flames eating away at her flesh. She kept moving, swallowing a scream of pain, and then she was through, running across a plain of ashes.

With every step she kicked up a cloud of ash. She slowed her pace only slightly, the fire heading in the other direction. She knew without looking at herself that she was covered with burns which protested her every movement. She glanced over at Natsu and, besides still being unconscious, seemed to be fine.

Over the course of an hour Tara slowed from a jagged jog to a limping walk. The roar of the fire was gone by the time she collapsed onto the muddy bank of a stream. Natsu slipped off her back and she caught him before he could hit his head on the ground.

She had just enough energy to lay him down on a nearby bed of moss before she fell unconscious, and her last thought was that he would still be alive when she woke up.

If she woke up at all.


	15. Chapter 14

It was because of the fire that the Jeboro warrior was this far south.

Normally he prefered to stay within the boundaries of the hunting grounds, but the smell of the fire had scared off any chance at game.

His family needed to eat. His _tribe_ needed to eat. He had promised that he wouldn't return without fresh meat, so he swung around the fire and headed south toward less known territory.

There were very few tracks to be had in the undergrowth, but the warrior was skilled. A tuft of fur caught in a patch of brambles caught his attention, and he snatched it up with calloused fingers. His heart thumped in his chest. A Troglodyte Maw.

Continuing on, the warrior kept his spear at the ready. His bare feet made no sound on the damp forest floor. A Troglodyte Maw this far east was worrisome; they prefered the crags and cliffs of the mountains. It was a smart decision to avoid any contact with the creatures, but this was an exception. If he followed its trial, he might come upon a fresh kill, or even the creature itself.

If he was desperate enough to tackle a Troglodyte Maw, he was as crazy as his wife, and the rest of his tribe, believed.

The trees thinned out, forest giving away to ashy plain, yet the warrior saw no more sign of the Maw. He stopped at the edge of the destruction, sniffing in the acrid smell of smoke. He doubted the Maw would cross onto the plain, where there was nothing but grey. He turned and followed a game trail that wound its way to a river. It might have stopped along the edge for a drink, and there might be some tracks.

As he brushed a strand of leaves out of the way he saw the river...and a strange lump underneath a nearby tree.

He froze, not even daring to breath. In the darkness he could only see a vague silhouette, a shadow against a backdrop of black. In the silence he could hear it breathing, almost like a gentle snore. It had to be the Maw. It was the biggest creature that roamed the forest.

Now was his chance.

Making no noise he crept downwind, his mouth watering at the thought of roasting meat. The creature didn't stir as the warrior lifted his spear and stabbed downward.

Instead of tearing flesh the blade bounced off, as if the skin was made of stone. The creature jerked, and the warrior didn't have time to hide as it opened a monstrous eye. He knew without a doubt that this was not a Troglodyte Maw.

It was something worse.

The moon emerged from behind a cloud, and the warrior stumbled backward, gasping. The creature glared up at him with angry brown eyes, hissing. Its purple skin rippled with muscle, and a thick tail lashed with displeasure. It dug its sharp claws into the dirt, and a slightly unfurled pair of wings were latched behind its shoulders.

There wasn't much that the warrior was afraid of, and as he sank to his knees he felt that his heart would burst. His body shook like a leaf in a heavy gale, his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth.

Through his panic-warped mind he dimly recognized that the creature wasn't attacking. Calming down slightly, he forced his muscles into stillness. Looking closer, he saw that the creature was covered with burns and cuts, some still bleeding. It must have been caught in the fire. Beneath its belly he could just make out the form of a human.

He gulped. Was it the creatures meal that lay only half finished, the sad remains of some poor traveller?

And then the corpsed couched.

It was alive! The warrior was confused. Why was the creature hovering so near the human without being tempted to take a bite? Was it not hungry? A thought clicked into place. Was it...protecting the human?

At the sound of the cough the creature whipped its head around and nuzzled the human, a teenage boy with strange hair. With a start the warrior scanned the many burns and cuts on his body, some still bleeding. This boy needed help.

Feeling brave, he took a small step forward, and instantly the creature's furious eyes snapped to his, hissing.

He held up his hands in surrender as it stalked toward him.

"Please," he whispered, and to his surprise the creature stopped. It's brow crinkled with confusion, and it cocked its head.

He swallowed. "I don't want to hurt you. But the human boy is hurt. He needs help." The creature glanced over at the unconscious boy. It glared at him again, but this time its eyes conveyed hope.

"Let me help him. Let me help you both. I swear on my life that you will come to no harm."

It's eyes raised with surprise. It paused, thinking, then gave him a small nod.

The warrior was shocked. "You...you really understand me, don't you?" The creature nodded. Never had the warrior encountered such an intelligent creature, capable of understanding human speech. Its eyes brimmed with life.

It was a gift from the gods, a miracle, a sign. He wasn't sure what to call it, but he felt, in his heart, that this creature was here for a reason.

This creature could do good here.

Keeping a cautious eye on the creature, the warrior crouched by the boy and lifted him onto his back with a groan. He was heavier than he expected, all well-defined muscle and little, if any, fat. The creature walked to his side and gazed at him with its brown, human-like eyes.

He shrugged the boy into a more comfortable position and strode into the trees.

"Follow me."


	16. Chapter 15

The first thing Natsu thought was that it was too loud.

Outside of the warm cocoon of darkness life made itself known. A gurgling stream, the hiss of wind through the trees and the sound of...people?

He wished it would go away.

The second thing he sensed was the smell. Unwashed bodies, smoke, and roasting meat. The thought of meat made him realize his hunger. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to wake up.

The third thing he noticed was that soft and warm, making it tempting to stay in the darkness.

The fourth thing was the pain.

Even the barest shift of his body rocked him with pain, like lava running across his skin. Which was an unusual feeling, considering he was immune to fire. He tried shifting again, but the pain flared to life even worse, and this time he couldn't contain a soft groan.

Immediately something nudged his shoulder, and hot air blew onto his face. What was this thing? Was it going to eat him? Even if he was hurt, he wasn't about to become some monster's chew toy just because of a little pain.

He tried to open his eyes, but it was as if somehow they had been glued shut. He began to panick. What if he had no more eyes to see with? The thing snorted again, and something surprisingly smooth swept against his time his efforts were more successful, and he managed to crack an eye open.

After he had adjusted to the light Tara's worried face came into view, hovering over his head like a bat. He tried to raise his hand, but his arm felt like lead. "Hey, Tara." he croaked, wincing at the sound of his voice grated his ears. The dragon crooned, relief shining in her eyes.

He shifted his head slightly as he surveyed his surroundings. He was lying on the floor of some kind of hut, under the tan fur of an unknown animal. Though nothing else was in the hut, save for a few bottles and herbs, Tara still had to crouch, wings tucked to her sides. Through the flap he saw more huts, the sounds of laughing children and sizzling meat ringing through the air.

"What happened?"

Tara stared for a few seconds, then jerked her head downward. He followed her gaze to his own body.

Patches of green splotched across his chest and arms like a rash, oozing liquid. He moved his finger slightly and hissed as pain flared through his body. A sound of disapproval made him glance up.

At the entrance to the tent stood a dark-skinned man, a bundle of cloth in his arms. A earring laced its way through his left ear, and his only clothes were a dirty pair of thin shorts, revealing his well-muscled chest and arms. As he entered his gaze landed on Tara, surprising Natsu with his fearlessness.

"Uye wavuka?"

Natsu frowned. His eyes widened in surprise when Tara shook her head. She could understand him?

Just who, exactly, was this dragon?

The man now turned to him, kneeling by his side. He laid down his burden and placed a hand on his chest. "Igama lam nguRodrigo."

Natsu shook his head. " I don't understand."

The man cocked his head like a puppy, and thumped his chest again. "Rodrigo."

Something clicked, and he said, "Is that your name? Rodrigo?"

The man smiled, pleased. He pointed a scarred hand at him.

"Natsu. I'm Natsu."

"Natsu," the man said, pronouncing it like gnat-zoo. He pointed a finger at Tara and raised an eyebrow.

"That's Tara?"

Rodrigo met the dragon's gaze. " Tara?" She nodded, showing teeth in an attempt at a smile.

"You can understand him?"

Tara turned to him and nodded.

"H-how?"

She shrugged, but something like guilt flashed through her eyes. She did, however, glance at the bracelet clamped on her leg.

Rodrigo's gentle hands on his chest made him jump, immediately groaning with pain The man's dark eyes shined with concern. "Ndiza kunika into ethile ngentlugu." the words were gibberish, but he supposed the light squeeze Rodrigo gave him was a good sign.

The man turned away, and both of them watched with curiosity as Rodrigo grabbed several plants and mash them in a bowl that he had brought with him. When the mixture was in a fine pulp he took the cloth and tore it into strips. Wiping the previous green pulps from his body, Rodrigo began soaking the cloth into mixture and laying them over what Natsu could now see were healing burns. The liquid soaking into his wounds replaced the pain with glorious coolness, and he closed his eyes with a sigh.

When Rodrigo was finished he wiped his hands on an extra strip and gently eased Natsu into a sitting position, lifting his dirty shirt to peer at his back. After several seconds of observation he looked to Tara. " Amanteba aphilisa kakuhle. Kufuneka aphakame kwiintsuku ezimbalwa." Tara thumped her tail, grinning.

He didn't need a translator to know that it was good news.

Rodrigo reached over and laid a small jug in his hands. "Phuza," he said gently, guiding it to Natsu's mouth. Any hesitation Natsu had vanished as ice-cold water slid down his throat, and he guzzled it down greedily.

When he had drained the whole thing Rodrigo laid him down and strode to the entrance of the hut, pausing just before he stepped outside. " Ndiya kukfumana wena kunye Natsu ukutya. Ungashiyi de ndibuye. Akukhuselekile kuwe." Tara nodded, and he disappeared into the sunshine.

A sudden wave of exhaustion made him close his eyes and yawn. It wouldn't hurt to close his eyes for just a minute, could it? "Tara, wake me up when he gets back, okay? I'm starving."

He didn't even hear her response before he fell asleep.

# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #

Translations:

Uye wavuka- Has he been awake long?

Igama lam nguRodrigo- My name is Rodrigo.

Ndiza kunika into ethile ngentlugu- I will give you something for the pain.

Amanteba aphilisa kakuhle. Kufuneka aphakame kwiintsuku ezimbalwa- The wounds are healing nicely. He should be up in a couple of days.

Phuza- Drink.

Ndiya kukfumana wena kunye Natsu ukutya. Ungashiyi de ndibuye. Akukhuselekile kuwe- I am going to get you and Natsu food. Do not leave until I return. It is not safe for you.


	17. Chapter 16

**I am...so sorry for taking so long! I know you all probably hate me! I was really busy with my book and getting ready for my senior year and having scholarship interviews and all that crap. I will update as often as I can, but it might be a little slower than in the past, especially now that I have four stories to update. Anyway, don't hate me! Love you all, and enjoy!**

Natsu's peaceful breathing filled the sweltering tent. Tara lay curled up against the side, crouched so as not to hit the ceiling with her horns. The sounds of laughter and bird song filtered in from outside, and a warm breeze sent tantalizing smells to her nose. Her muscles ached and cramped, but she would follow Rodrigo's orders. They had barely managed to sneak into the camp undetected, Natsu draped in the warrior's arms like a bag of potatoes- heavy, unmoving, and all-too pale for her liking.

Natsu shifted slightly, murmuring in his sleep. She smiled. Somehow, someway, she had come to care for this boy she hadn't even known for two weeks. Perhaps it was because he was a dragon slayer- perhaps because he had been around dragons before. Whatever the reason, there was a certain bond between her and the sleeping pink-haired boy before her. The fire should have proved that.

She was just closing her eyes-just for a minuted, she told herself- when something fluttered the tent flap. She was on alert in an instant, Rodrigo's warnings bouncing through her head. Glancing around the room with a slitted eye, she spotted nothing out of the ordinary. _It was probably just the wind_ , she thought, and settled down slightly.

The tent flap fluttered again, and this time an unfamiliar smell rode on the breeze. Claws extended, she growled in warning. When the flap moved again, she hissed, tail thumping fiercely against the walls. She gathered her strength for an attack-and pulled up short when two green eyes appeared in the entrance.

She paused as they disappeared, only to reappear seconds later. A child. It was only a child. Sighing heavily, she sank back to the earth. "You can come in," she said softly. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Eyes wide with fear, the child- a boy about eight years old, she had to guess-crept into the tent. He was clothed only in a pair of trousers made of some kind of fur, and he had no shoes. His dark hair was cropped, enough that she could see his skull through the fibers. He swallowed and stopped close to the entrance, as if prepared to flee the moment she showed any aggression. "What are you?" he squeaked.

She blinked. "I am a dragon."

"What is a dragon?"

She tilted her head. "Well… I guess you could say that dragons are creatures of magic. Each dragon has a certain type of magic that the use, like fire or air."

"What's your's?"

She shook her head. "I'm too young to have one yet."

The boy crept closer, fear slowly changing into curiosity. His eyes sparkled. "What happened to him?" the boy asked, pointing to Natsu.

"He was hurt in a fire."

"You mean the fire that all the adults were talking about? The one that burned up part of our hunting grounds?"

Tara frowned- Rodrigo hadn't mentioned that part. "Yes, that one."

The boy nodded, then puffed out his chest. "When I grow up, I'm going to be the best hunter in the whole tribe, and I'll bring back so much prey that people will get sick of looking at it!"

She chuckled. "I'm sure you will. And what is your name, O mighty hunter?"

He spread his legs and flexed his tiny arms. "My name is Andres, and I am the greatest hunter in the whole world!"

He zoomed around the room, punching and kicking at the walls, and she couldn't suppress a chuckle.

"Andres!"

The boy stopped and cowered as Rodrigo entered the tent, his hands around a bowl mounted high with fresh fruit and hot meat. The smell made her mouth water.

"You should not be here," he scowled, placing the bowl at Tara's feet. "What have I told you about entering places without permission?"

Andres lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry, Father."

Rodrigo sighed, giving Tara a weary smile. "Children. What can you do? I hope he wasn't bugging you."

"Oh, no," she responded. "He's been good company. He was telling me what a great hunter he will be when he is older; you should be proud."

Rodrigo's face changed suddenly from warm stone to freezing metal. "Andres," he said softly, his face neutral. "Go home. It's time for dinner."

"But, Father-"

"Now."

The icy tone left no room for complaint. With a last longing look at Tara, Andres turned and fled the tent.

When they were sure he was gone, Tara broke the silence. "I'm sorry," she blurted out. She must have crossed a line somewhere.

Rodrigo sighed, looking like he had aged 40 years. "Do not apologize. I should not have responded that way. It's just that you don't know-" He fell silent.

Gingerly, as if stepping on thin ice, she urged, " What don't I know?"

He looked at her with weary eyes. "It is the goal of every child in this tribe to want to become a hunter, one who goes and faces the danger of the forest to bring back meat. Andres is no exception."

"I am not….well, let's just say that there are those who would harm Andres if he were to be a hunter."

"Why?"

"Because he is my son. Because many in this tribe do not like my ideas for a better future, many of which involve forgoing our traditions. They are afraid of change, and I fear that they will remain like deep-rooted trees, and drag others with them."

"What's wrong with traditions?"

"Nothing is wrong with traditions. But times are changing; every day the hunters come back with less and less prey. Less water flows in the river, and less rain comes with every passing year. Many are unconcerned, but I see the signs. There will come a day when there is no prey and there is no water, and I prove them right, prove to them that they should have been concerned." He hung his head. "I pray it will never come to that."

Tara didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry."

Rodrigo shook his head, giving her a soft smile. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Don't worry about us. Eat. I will wake up Natsu."

With her head spinning she dug into the leg of an animal. Rodrigo shook Natsu gently and helped him sit up. Natsu's eyes lit up when he saw the bowl. "Food," he stammered, and his stomach growled with impatience. He began wolfing down the contents, and Rodrigo raised his eyebrows in shock. "Wow. That is very fast eating. Is he always this hungry?"

"Oh, yeah. Mages, especially dragonslayers, use up a lot of energy when they use magic, so they need to eat more."

"Hmmm," he said, stroking his chin in thought.

Suddenly a shout rang through the air; everyone paused as Rodrigo strode through the tent and poked his head out.

"What is it?" she asked as he pulled back.

He turned to her, his face pale. "We are being summoned."


	18. Chapter 17

Tara didn't know what being summoned ment, but she was pretty sure that it wasn't good.

Drums began to sound, beating with the pounding of her heart. The air inside the tent suddenly felt too hot, stifling. The noise outside continued, swelling as more people joined the crowd.

"Stay here," Rodrigo said for the third time, pushing the tent flap open with a dark hand. "I'll see what's-"

He jerked backward as a spear thrusted from outside, pointed at his heart.

"Rodrigo," a deep voice snarled. "We know you have visitors. Chief wants to see them."

Rodrigo glanced back at Natsu, who was still shovelling food into his mouth. He seemed unconcerned, but Tara observed how he tilted his head slightly toward the door. He was listening.

"One is injured," her friend announced. "They cannot be moved."

"Then bring the other. A guard will be posted for their safety."

Tara snorted softly. _Safety? It seems we're more prisoners than guests at this point._ She stopped herself from clawing the ground. _This is too familiar._ The earth underneath her turned to iron, the scents of meat turned to charred corpses, the shouts to cries of anguish. She shut her eyes, willing her body to stop shaking. _Not now. This isn't like last time. Get a hold of yourself._ As soon as it had arrived, it disappeared, and she opened her eyes.

Rodrigo, not having noticed her episode, looked from her to Natsu who, done with his meal, stood on shaking knees.

"Stay down, my friend!" Rodrigo hissed, motioning the dragon slayer to sit. "You need rest."

Natsu looked at Tara in confusion, and the dragon huffed. "I'll go with you," she said to the warrior.

"I'm not staying here!" Natsu yelled, bursting into flames. " I can't stand being cooped up in here! I need a good fight to get me goin'!"

Tara sighed. Guess he was feeling better. Swinging her tail around, she swatted him to the floor. "What the hell, Tara?" he exclaimed, struggling under her tail's weight.

Keeping him pinned, she lowered her head until she could stare into his angry, glowing eyes, and even though she knew he wouldn't understand, she spoke. "You. Will. Stay. Here! You are too injured to be moving around, and we aren't here to pick a fight. Just let me handle it!"

Natsu's eyes cooled slightly, and he huffed, crossing his arms. Anyone with a brain could tell what her growls ment. His eyes darted away as he spat, "Fine! I'll stay here, if that's what you really want. But don't blame me if I burn this place down because I'm bored!"

She rolled her eyes and strode to Rodrigo's side. "You sure he'll stay?" Rodrigo asked, glancing at Natsu, who was still pouting on the ground.

She snarled. "He better, or he's gonna his butt kicked."

Rodrigo eyed her from the corner of his eye, suddenly nervous. "You wouldn't really do that, right?"

She sighed. "No, but I'm sure someone else will."

"What are you two whispering about? You better leave before I decide to follow you."

She glared at Natsu over her shoulder, and he looked away, lips pursed.

"Let's go," she said. "Before Idiot decides to hurt himself."

Rodrigo chuckled. "How strange you two are." He walked into the sunlight and Tara, ducking, followed him.

As soon as she emerged from the tent she was greeted with at least twenty spears pointed at her in uniform, unwavering lines. She counted at least thirty men, dressed as Rodrigo with strange marking on their facies and bodies. Scanning the crowd, a small thrill went through her as she saw fear and awe in the men's eyes. They looked the same way Rodrigo had a couple nights ago- was it only really a couple days ago?- like they were seeing a god come to life before their very eyes.

One of the men stepped forward, spear at the ready. He was obviously the leader; though dressed as the rest, markings snaked up and down his arms, writing in an unknown language. Several earrings pierced his ears, and one even glittered from his bottom lip. His broad shoulder were held back by invisible weights, and confidence oozed from every por.

"Rodrigo," the man said with the same deep voice as before, "you have been summoned by Chief to answer for your crime."

Rodrigo gasped, fist . "And what crime have I committed, J'lall?"

J'lall's eyes swerved to hers, and she was taken aback by their fierceness. Here was a capable warrior...and perhaps a dangerous enemy.

"For endangering the lives of the village, for conspiring, and for acts of rebellion, among other things." He gave him a wolfish grin. "You've had this coming, Rodrigo. I've been looking forward to this for a long time; I just needed an excuse to bring you beneath my feet, where you belong."

Tara couldn't stay silent any longer. She snarled, baring gleaming white fangs. At the sound of her growl the men jumped, and J'lall eyed her with awe, mouth hanging low.

"You...it can speak?"

She opened her mouth to tell him exactly what she thought when Rodrigo interrupted. "No, but she can understand you, so be careful what you say."

J'lall gave her a dirty look, eyes blazing as bright as Natsu's flames. Snorting, he turned to his shaken men. "Surround the prisoners. To Chief's hut." He marched through the mass, with Tara and Rodrigo on his heels.

As they walked Tara glanced around. They were still in the forest, but in a huge meadow vibrant wildflowers of every color. Perhaps on the southern eastern border, then. It was the way she had first entered this land, among rolling hills, with the fragrance of nectar on the wind. A fresh wind, a fresh start. A new life far away from the nightmares of the past.

Now she knew better. The nightmares hadn't left, just changed form.

Would she ever get home?

The grass crunched underneath her claws as the sound of voices grew louder. Following J'lall's winding trail through the tents, the sun beat down on her scales, making them shine like jewels. Maybe things weren't so bad. After all, if she had never came to Fiore, she never would have met Natsu and his team.

His team.

With a flash of guilt she thought of that night. Were the rest of them okay? Her stomach squirmed as the memories flashed across her eyes: the shouts of surprise as she sprang into the oncoming fire. They must be so worried. As soon as Natsu was better, they needed to find them and look for the temple. The bracelet tightened slightly as if in response.

The thoughts vanished from her mind as a large building came into view, the source of the noise. It sounded like everyone in the whole village was in there.

J'lall, without a moment's hesitation, waltzed through the door. Sharing a nervous glance with Rodrigo, Tara lowered her head and followed him into the unknown.


	19. Chapter 18

**I apologize for the long wait. It's been very difficult finding time to write in between school and sports and other stuff I am in.**

 **Also this chapter is total trash because I was in a hurry to finish this and update. I promise I don't usually write like this.**

As she stepped into the room, Tara thought everything was on fire.

Indeed, there was fire, but it was safely contained, atop a small pillar in the center of the room. The smoke swirled and swam through the air like a snake in water, a living things slithering its way into every nook and crevice. Visibility was low, everything dulled into by a gray hue. She coughed, smoke entering her lungs, and suddenly she was back in the forest, fire licking her sides, Natsu lying across her back, injured and dying from the smoke...

"Clear the room!" A shrill voice echoed through the room, almost feminine. Immediately she heard windows being open, and light penetrated the room as the smoke was slowly filtered out.

As the world slowey revived, details began to stick out. The edges of the room became clear, the outlines of people distinct, a podium beside the small fire appeared as if from thin air. The noise swelled; she had not even noticed how quiet it was when she had wood floor creaked under her weight as the last of the smoke flew to freedom through the open windows.

Gasps and yells erupted like a volcano, swarming her as all eyes turned to her. Fear clouded their vision, and some even physically recoiled, jumping over people to get away. A familiar feeling crept into her throat. Perhaps these people had the right idea. Maybe she was a monster. And after everything she's done….she deserved it. She shook her head. Now wasn't the time for such thoughts.

Straight ahead of her, at the opposite end of the room, a small wooden throne sat, unadorned save for the skull of some animal stationed just above the headrest. Hidden within the folds of the chair sat a little man, feet dangling several feet off the ground, swinging like a child's. It would have been comical, if not for his cold beady eyes and ugly frown. "Come forward," he said in a squeaky voice, eyes never leaving her as she followed J'llal. With every step she grew more nervous, the eyes of the people pelting her like hail. Rodrigo's hand on her shoulder eased her anxiety somewhat, and he gave her a shaky smile.

They reached the opposite end and stood before the throne, the little man's stoney face peering down at them from the throne.

J'llal stepped forward. "Chief, this is one of the things that Rodrigo returned with from his hunting trip a few days ago." She bristled at the insult, but J'llal continued. "He has brought unknown creatures into our camp, threatening the lives of our children and women. He must be punished for his arrogance!" Cries went up from the surrounding villagers, but not all of them. To her right, sitting at the end of the row, a young woman sat staring at her while her friends cheered, gazing at her with curiosity. A seed of hope sprang up. Maybe not everyone saw her as an enemy.

Chief said nothing, expression revealing nothing as he turned to Rodrigo. Her friend stepped forward. "Chief, you know how loyal I am to our tribe, and I would never do anything to put the lives of our people at risk. While hunting I stumbled across Tara and her friend Natsu. Both were badly injured by the fire. How they had managed to escape is a mystery to me, but I couldn't leave them there to die. They have done no wrong, but if there must be a punishment, I will gladly bear it."

Tara swung her head around and stared at him in shock, and he gazed at her solemnly. "I mean it," he said softly. "You are innocent of any wrongdoing."

The crowd booed and hissed. "Throw these foreigners out!" someone yelled.

"Just look at that thing, we've never seen anything like it before!"

"Rodrigo's crazy!"

"This should have been done a long time ago!"

Chief raised his hand, and the crowd immediately fell silent. J'llal smirked at the white-faced Rodrigo. The old man turned toward her. "You can understand us, can you not?"

Tara blinked. How did he know? She nodded.

Gasps rang through the crowd.

"How does it know our language?"

"It must be a demon!"

Chief raised his hand again, and the villagers gradually fell silent. In his squeaky voice, he said, "What have you to say for yourself?"

She raised her head, staring straight into his eyes. Before she could move, however, Rodrigo stepped forward. "She cannot speak, Chief. She has been cursed!"

The crowd fell deathly still.

One thin eyebrow rose. "Cursed?"

Tara held out her leg, pointing her snout toward the glittering gold bracelet.

The little man's sparkled, flashing with anger. "Guards!" he shrieked, and Tara, for the second time that day, was surrounded by hostility.

Tara glanced toward the chief as he glared at her. "Now," he snarled. "You will tell me where you got this bracelet, or you will not walk out of here alive."

 **Yeah, I know, it was a crappy chapter with a crappy ending. Don't worry, the next will be way better.**


	20. Chapter 19

They placed guards outside the tent. Natsu could hear them chatting as he lay on his makeshift cot, hands clinched in the fur blanket like a vise.

It was totally unfair.

He was Salamander, not to mention a strong Fairy Tail wizard, and here he was, forced to bedrest like some normal invalid.

"Give me a little credit," he mumbled into the empty tent. He'd been through a lot worse than a forest fire before. A fire that he had started, he thought sheepishly, as he shifted his weight on the course blanket.

He sighed through his nose and looked around the tent. His eyes skimmed the sleek white walls, the small oak boxes of something that smelled of animal fat and crushed leaves, and the dirty bowl that he had eaten from earlier. He picked it up, studying the strange, simplistic patterns found in the natural grain of the wood. It was like looking at clouds, he thought. Pictures formed: A flower bloomed here, changing to a pillar of fire with a subtle shift of his hand. Angles and shadows created rivers, mountains, cards, and swords of different sizes. And there he found, as he was turning the bowl for the fifth time- or perhaps it was the sixth time. He had really lost count- a dragon, wings outspread in flight.

 _Tara._

The bowl rolled smoothly in his hands as he sat it down on the dirt, huffing.

"That does it," he murmured, rising to his feet. "Guards or no guards, I'm getting out of here." No way was he going to let Tara have all the fun. He had a reputation to uphold, after all. _Besides_ , he thought to himself, _since I'm the only official Fairy Tail wizard present, I have a right to represent myself._ The thought filled with energy, but paused as the bandages on his body shifted, and he hissed in pain as they slid like serpents across his burns.

It was ironic, really, he thought as he stepped gingerly toward the opening. Who would have thought a fire-usar could be burned by his own flame? He imagined Gray slipping on his own ice, yelling in pain as his feet fell out from underneath him, and he barked out a laugh.

The tent flap immediately folded as one of the guards poked his head inside. His dark eyes widened at the sight of Natsu on his feet, and Natsu immediately sobered.

Great. Just what he needed.

He raised his hands in surrender, showing the startled young man-for he wasn't much older than Natsu himself- that he held no weapons. Natsu knew that he could burn both guards in an instant without breaking a sweat. But, he figured, burning your people was not a way to make friends. He would follow Tara's lead, for now.

"Hey," he croaked, taking a tiny step forward. "It's okay. Do you mind if I step outside for a minute for some fresh air?"

Confusion flashed across the guard's face. He mumbled something and pointed to the cot on the ground.

No way was Natsu sitting down again; he would die of boredom. A breeze ruffled the tent, cool and refreshing.

He decided to take a chance with another small step toward the opening, hands still raised, but cursed when he spooked the guard. The young man disappeared for an instant, only appearing to shove his spear in Natsu's face. He barked something, gesturing to the cot once more. Natsu sighed in defeat and sat down heavily. He knew he could have made it past the guard with ease, burn the tent to the ground with barely a thought, and run off to find Tara before most of the village knew what had happened. They could easily slip into the forest before anyone could catch them.

And then he thought of Rodrigo. Though he was a stranger to him, and they didn't speak the same language, he still had decided to help them. And, by the looks of it, had gotten himself into serious trouble because of it.

They couldn't leave. At least until Rodrigo was in the clear.

And if there was one thing that Fairy Tail wizards were good at- besides destroying things, of course- was loyalty toward their family and friends.

A burst of energy drove away the aches and pains from his burns. He needed to find Tara and Rodrigo, help explain the situation, to whoever was in charge. Eyeing the room once more, he stood on shaking knees. _Crap. I must be more injured than I thought,_ he thought to himself.

No matter. He'd dealt with worse. Forcing his body still he searched for an escape route. The front entrance was out; he didn't want to spook the guard again unless he had to.

Something rustled behind him, and he spun on instinct, fist reeled back to deliver a devastating punch...only to stop short.

A little boy stood just inside the tent, green eyes wide with shock. His tiny fists clutched his dirty trousers tightly, as if trying not to flee. The rapid rise and fall of his bare, tan chest made him look even smaller than he was. Fear flashed across his face, but he didn't move.

Natsu sighed, immediately relaxing. He had been about to punch a kid, for pete's sake. "Sorry."

The boy blinked, and Natsu kicked himself for forgetting that he didn't understand him. As Natsu put his fist down, the fear in the boy's eyes vanished, replaced by a weary awe.

He sighed. Now he had a witness to his escape. All the boy had to do was shout, and he could find himself in real chains this time. They would call the whole village, and even thought Natsu was strong, he was still weak from his wounds. He wouldn't be able to fight them all. Nor did he want to.

So where did that leave him?

Natsu sank to the ground at eye level with the boy, an idea sparking in his brain. Maybe

he could communicate with body language, like he and Tara do. At any rate, it was worth a shot. He asked, "How did you get in here?" Silence. Natsu decided to try an easier question. "What is your name?" He pointed to himself. "Natsu." He pointed to the boy, and placed a question in his eyes.

The boy tilted his head like a puppy, but said nothing.

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose so hard he thought he might break it. How could he get through to this kid?

The answer came without warning. Looking deep into the kid's eyes, he said, "Rodrigo."

The boy's eyes lit up. With no fear he reached out and snatched Natsu's hand. Natsu was surprised at the callouses already forming, and he allowed himself to be lead out of a small hole in the tent that he had failed to notice.

As they emerged Natsu gulped in the refreshing breeze, laden with the aroma of cooking meat and pine. They were in a huge clearing, hemmed in on every side by towering, ancient trees. The leaves sparkled like emeralds; in fact, everything he saw seemed to glow with vibrant color. Rows of identical tents stretched all the way to the trees, in perfect lines like soldiers on a battlefield.

Natsu stopped, glancing around uneasily. "Where is everyone?" he asked the boy. No human sounds floated on the breeze.

The boy grabbed his hand once more, pointing to what Natsu thought was the center of the camp.

He grinned. "Alright, then. Take me to your leader."


	21. Chapter 20

"Chief, hold on!" Rodrigo stammered as guards surrounded them, spears pointed straight at their hearts. "You have to let us explain!"

"I'm through listening to your ideas, Rodrigo!" the little man snarled, practically frothing at the mouth. "Ever since you were old enough to speak you have been filled with ludicrous, blasphemous thoughts, ideas that would change everything we are." He shook his shaggy hair. "I should never allowed you to live. I will fix my mistake."

He turned to J'lall, leaving Rodrigo like a fish out of water, gasping like he was struck. "Kill the creature and Rodrigo, but bring his family to me. Perhaps his boy could be saved."

The crowd cheered as J'lall grinned wolfishly. "With pleasure, my Chief."

Tara fought for breathe as the guards began to force them out into the open. _Say something, dammit! This is your chance!_

"W-wait." she stammered, but her voice was drowned out by the calls of the blood-thirsty crowd. "Wait!" she said louder, but no one paid any heed.

They were in front of the entrance now; all she could see when she looked around was the cold, malicious eyes of people who wanted to see her bleed. _Keep trying!_ She took a deep breath, ready to scream and kick and go down fighting, when someone did it for her.

"Wait!"

The crowd fell silent as Natsu stepped past the guards and settled into a defensive stance in front of her. _Natsu._ She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Who are you?" Chief asked, gazing at Natsu with wary curiosity.

Natsu answered with a voice of unwavering resolve. "My name is Natsu Dragneel. I am a wizard of the Fairy Tail guild. And there is one thing Fairy Tail wizards are good at," His fists burst into flames, making several in the crowd scream, "and that's loyalty! If you want to harm them, be ready for the justice that will rain down upon you!"

Tara shuddered at his voice, cold and icey, so unlike the Natsu she knew. The crowd fell silent, as if a spell had been cast to keep theme silent. The chief's face puckered like a raisin, eyes flashing with Natsu's flames.

Several tense seconds passed. The chief raised a wrinkled hand, and the guards backed away. He leapt from his wooden throne and waddled across the room. Tara gazed down at him in faint amusement. He looked so tiny; he barely came up to her shoulder. But the tension and strength in his shoulders and thighs betrayed his skill in combat.

"Come," he said calmly, walking past them and out of the smoky hall. WIth a curious glance at each other, they followed, Natsu extinguishing his flames. Outside the air was full of bird song, the forest breeze blowing the scent of wildflowers and growing things. The scene contrasted quite sharply with what had just happened that Tara felt the tension in her chest ease. That place...her memory flashed to a time long ago, of cages and hurt and pain and betrayal. She shivered. She had forgotten how incapacitating her flashbacks could be.

Natsu's arm on her shoulder jerked her from her thoughts. They had stopped at the entrance of a tent, identical to the ones surrounding it. WIth a nod at the two guards positioned outside, the little man beckoned them inward.

The inside of the tent was cool and dark. Piles of objects lay scattered in random piles. Swords, shields, and jewels glittered in the light of the single candle, which stood guard over a long, cluttered piece of wood that Tara supposed was a desk. Once everyone was inside, Chief turned toward them abruptly, the shadows dancing menacingly across his face.

"You have brought harm to this village, Rodrigo." If his voice had been like stone, it was now ice; cold, sharp...and deadly.

"How so, Chief?" Rodrigo asked calmly, but Tara could smell his fear.

The little man turned toward her. "Show me your bracelet, if you please."

Tara extended her arm, and Natsu snarled, the sound echoing eerily around the small tent. "If you hurt her, I will not hesitate to-"

"Relax, wizard of Fairy Tail. No harm will come to you in this room."

Though he had no idea what he had said, Natsu huffed. He opened his mouth, prepared to say more, before Tara gently nudged him with her tail. He gazed at her for a few seconds and backed off, though he watched the man warily. Tara extended her arm into the light, and Chief clasped the bracelet gently, examining the markings with an air of experience. As his withered hands raced up and down its golden surface, the bracelet hummed softly. Tara stared in wonder. It was like...like it was alive, like it had a mind of its own. It shuddered as Chief touched a strange-looking pattern, and she was struck with the sensation that it wanted to flee, to avoid the fingers that were now tapping at its skin.

Chief removed his hands, and Tara let her tired arm fall to the ground. He gazed for several seconds at nothing, his face scrunched into a worried expression. "I was now certain. That bracelet...is Alkire-made."

Rodrigo started, eyes wide with shock. "Are you sure, Chief?"

"What does this mean?" Tara asked, a thread of concern worming its way into her voice.

"The Akire are an enemy tribe," Chief said solemnly. "They are a group of savages, concerned only with their treasures and wealth, never caring that their endless greed has killed hundreds of people and destroyed dozens of tribes just like ours. The fact that you posses one of their most prized heirlooms suggests many things, none of them good."

Natsu, who had thus far been silent, growled, "What's going on?"

Rodrigo explained the situation, and Natsu snorted. "Sounds like these guys are a gang of bullies. Maybe they need to be taken down a notch."

Rodrigo shook his head. "It's not that simple, my friend. They are a very powerful group. It would take all of our neighboring tribes and more to even match their numbers."

"There will be no fighting." Chief turned toward Tara, solemn and stern. "You must tell me how you came upon this, and then you must leave. If the Akire find out that this is missing...there will be no leniency. This is a declaration of war."fanfi


	22. Author Update 20

...I LIVE!

I'm so sorry I haven't updated! Senior year is kicking my butt hardcore. But the real reason I haven't updated my stories is because I finally started my novel! Yeah for me!

Anyway, as I've said before, I will be finishing these stories and I plan to update after my graduation. Expect the stories to be infrequently updated because I'm trying to get a first draft of my book done by September. Once I get a first draft completed I will take a break and finish updating all the stories I am currently working on.

Thank you guys so much for your patience, and you mean the world to me.

Until next time!


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